VOL. 16 ISSUE NO. 47 | NOVEMBER 24 – 30, 2010

BY LINDA BENTLEY | NOVEMBER 24, 2010

Circle-K shoplifter has long history ‘in the system’

CAVE CREEK – Adam Joseph Vance, 44, was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on Nov. 17 on misdemeanor charges of shoplifting and driving on a license that had been suspended, revoked or canceled.

Vance, whose address indicates he resides in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix, pulled up to the Circle-K at 6802 E. Cave Creek Road on Wednesday afternoon in his mother’s car bearing a handicap parking designation.

Witnesses say he got out, walked inside and, while the clerk was busy with another customer purchasing Lotto tickets, Vance helped himself to two 30-packs of beer stacked up near the front of the store and walked out without paying.

Another customer walked outside and notified the deputy who just happened to be gassing up his vehicle at the time.

The deputy caught up with Vance headed south on Cave Creek Road, about a half mile north of Carefree Highway and pulled him over.

When the deputy asked Vance if he knew why he was pulled over, he said Vance responded, “Speeding?”

It turns out Vance has been “in the system” pretty much since adulthood on a variety of charges, many of which include driving on a suspended license, an offense that can now result in the vehicle driven being seized on the spot.

In February 1988, Vance was indicted along with another man, Danny Mabe, on third degree burglary charges and theft, both class 4 felonies.

Vance entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of solicitation to commit burglary, a class six undesignated offense and was sentenced to 60 days in the county jail and three years of probation. The theft count was dismissed.

On June 4, 1989 Vance was cited by Phoenix police for driving without a valid license, current registration or insurance. He was found guilty/responsible and fined.

Less than two weeks later, Vance was cited in Phoenix again for not having insurance and for speed greater than reasonable and prudent to avoid a collision. He was found guilty/responsible and fined.

On June 21, 1989, Vance was stopped for a windshield violation and no evidence of financial responsibility. Once again Vance was fined.

In January 1990, Vance was cited for providing liquor to a minor. However, records indicate the charge was dismissed.

Because Vance failed to pay his fines, in March 1995, when stopped for driving an unsafe vehicle on the highway, he was cited for driving on a suspended license for failure to pay, along with no current registration and no evidence of financial responsibility.

Again Vance was fined.

In June 1994, Vance was found guilty by the McDowell Mountain Justice Court of disorderly conduct.

In July 1995, Vance entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a dangerous drug possession charge. As a first-time drug offender, Vance was sentenced to probation.

However, in August 1997, after violating his probation for a second time after having it reinstated for a prior violation, Vance’s probation was revoked and he was sentenced to two and a half years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

He was released in June 1999.

Vance was cited in June 2000 for driving on a suspended, revoked or canceled license and failure to provide proof of financial responsibility.

In December of that year, the Rosehill Suites Apartments filed a forcible detainer action against Vance and Beth Barnes, presumably the Beth whose name is tattooed on the right side of his neck, for failure to pay rent.

Rosehill filed again in January 2001, this time adding Audra Vance and Tyler Barnes to the roster of defendants.

Vance and Beth Barnes apparently found a new place to live and in April 2001, D.S.

Khurana, Inc. filed a forcible detainer action against them for failure to pay rent.

In 2003, Vance was found guilty in absentia in Yuma Municipal Court for disorderly conduct – fighting in a non-jury trial when he failed to appear. A warrant was issued for Vance’s arrest, which expired in 2008, causing the case to be dismissed.

In April 2003, Vogel Square Apartments filed a forcible detainer action against Vance and Barnes in the Moon Valley Justice Court for failure to pay rent.

In August 2004, Vance was cited again in Phoenix for driving with a license that was suspended, revoked or canceled; no evidence of financial responsibility; and no current registration.

In October he was charged with a violation of promise appear.

In September 2005, the Orangewood Terrace Apartments filed a forcible detainer action against Vance and Barnes, who owed over $2,100 in rent.

The two eventually moved, this time renting from John and Sharyn Conway, who also filed a forcible detainer action against them in March 2006 for failure to pay rent.

In December 2007, Vance was arrested by Phoenix police for shoplifting goods valued at less than $1,000. It appears the goods were either subsequently returned or paid for and the charge was dismissed.

Vance was cited again by Phoenix police in January 2008 for running a red light. The charge was later dismissed.

In September 2008, Vance was found guilty of shoplifting in Phoenix.

Later that same month Vance was cited for speed greater than reasonable and prudent to avoid a collision.

On Aug. 12, 2009, Vance was cited for driving more than 65 MPH in a 55 zone in the jurisdiction of the Downtown Justice Court.

And, before he could be arraigned on that charge, he was cited again for the same offense on Aug. 29 in the jurisdiction of the West McDowell Justice Court.

In May 2010, Vance was cited by Phoenix police for failure to produce evidence of financial responsibility and displaying a suspended plate.

Vance failed to appear.

It’s unclear what brought Vance to Cave Creek this week, but it was a pretty bold move for him to shoplift beer from a Circle-K store with a deputy gassing up at the pump and then speed away while driving on a suspended license.